Mike Horn – Extreme Expeditionist

South African-Swiss explorer Mike Horn has conquered both poles and the Amazon. Here’s how he’s built the fortitude to thrive in extreme environments.

- By Charles Thorp

Choose Your Idols Wisely

My father was a rugby player in South Africa. I was there in the locker room for the last game he played and watched younger players show admiration. I was just a kid, but I thought if I could live a life where people talked like that about me, I’d succeeded. He woke up to go on a run every morning at six o’clock. As soon as I could, I went with him. He never slowed his pace to make it easier for me to keep up. The only option was for me to run faster. When I hit the point where I couldn’t keep up, I’d draw a line on the pavement. The next day I’d try to beat that line. That’s where my obsession with making goals started.

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